The US Centre For Democracy and Technology, which “works to promote democratic values and constitutional liberties in the digital age” (whatever that means), has published a report about the way the music industry should cope with the demands of the digital age.
Called ‘Protecting Copyright and Internet Values: A Balanced Path Forward’, the report begins by warning the industry against treating online digital delivery as a foe, arguing that technology advances, while sometimes posing new piracy risks, normally bring sufficient new opportunities and revenue streams to outweigh any losses. The group point to the initial fears that surrounded both the cassette recorder and the video recorder, both of which eventually delivered valuable new revenue streams to the music business.
That said, while the report begins by seemingly criticising the paranoia within the music industry regarding music online, it then outlines a strategy for dealing with digital threats which is pretty much the route already being taken by the major record companies and industry associations like the Recording Industry Association Of America.
The report suggests a three part process - firstly "punishing bad actors" (ie digital pirates) so that most law-abiding citizens will be deterred from engaging in online piracy, secondly "encouraging a marketplace of content-protective and consumer-friendly" DRM tools and thirdly better public education by trusted voices." All techniques already used by the industry.